Mindy Leary, Gilpin County. On September 3, 2020, the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners met online at 9 a.m. for a special meeting. Commissioners Gail Watson, Linda Isenhart and Ron Engels were present as were County Attorney Brad Benning and County Manager Abel Montoya. 

Highlights included an adoption of two resolutions approving ballot questions concerning mill levies for the Community Center and the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office and a discussion of FICA (Social Security) payroll taxes.

The upcoming ballot in November will contain mill levy questions for voters that amount to 2.27 mills for the Sheriff’s Office and 2.57 for the Community Center that will sunset, or end, in three years. There’s a calculator on the county website to estimate taxes owed. 

The combined mill levies would equal about $18 per $100,000 of assessed property value. Engels moved to approve Resolution 20-18 to refer a ballot issue to the registered collectors of Gilpin County for the purposes of establishing a dedicated mill levy for the Parks and Recreation Department. All were in favor.

One citizen had a question about how the ballot language and pro/con statements are determined. Montoya said citizens can submit their concerns to the Clerk and Recorder or to an email that will be on the county website.

Next the board moved to approve the Sheriff’s Office mill levy, essentially in the same form as the prior ballot issue. “The median home in Gilpin County would see an increase of $10 a month,” said Montoya. Engels moved to approve a motion to establish a dedicated mill levy for the Sheriff’s Office and the vote was unanimous. 

These mill levies have nothing to do with the agreement between Black Hawk and Gilpin County Schools, i.e. that Black Hawk donate one million dollars annually to the school district if no sales tax is instituted. The resolutions will be posted soon on the county website.

The two main sources of revenue for Gilpin County are gaming and property taxes, including mill levies; there is no sales tax. It has the lowest average effective property tax out of all 64 counties in Colorado.

One mill generates approximately $440,000 of revenue. For the Parks and Recreation Department, an increase of 2.57 mills for three years would cover limited operations and programs but will not address capital improvement projects.

If a special Parks and Rec District is created in the future, then the county would have to enter an agreement with the district to appropriate the funds, and would not be able to legally use the funds if it’s not providing those services.

Sheriff Kevin Armstrong made a grant request that has no cost to the county that seeks a contract with counselors who deal with PTSD, depression, addiction, and mental health for law enforcement and first-responder personnel. 

Armstrong requested signatures from the board and received unanimous support. Isenhart said, “Your officers are subjected to much more unusual stresses then the average citizen.”

“This is certainly a no-brainer for us,” said Engels.

There was a recent presidential executive order about a “tax holiday” in which employers shall no longer withhold a social security tax for employees, and these monies would have to be paid back by employees in 2021. Employers can choose if they want to participate. 

Montoya said it would be a lot more paperwork and Isenhart said it would put a strain on the finance department. The board was in agreement to stay status quo with social security withholding.  

There is a statewide fire ban and Gilpin County’s Stage 2 ban includes a ban on shooting firearms. GCSO has found a range to use near Castle Rock and needs to pay to rent it. Isenhart made a motion to renew the contract for $6,000 payable monthly for the Sheriff’s Office to use for a shooting range.

The board considered eliminating the chat feature during the Zoom meetings except during public/press comments or questions because it’s distracting for the commissioners. One suggestion was to gather the questions and comments and present them at the end of the meeting.  

(Originally published in the September 10, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)